Blueberry Parfaits

Four ingredients and a parfait glass are all you need for a dessert that looks like it came from a restaurant. Blueberries get microwaved with apricot preserves into a warm, jammy sauce, then layered with vanilla frozen yogurt and topped with slivered almonds.

The apricot preserves are the unexpected ingredient that makes this sauce more interesting than plain blueberry compote. Apricot adds a floral, slightly tangy sweetness that rounds out the blueberries without competing with them. Together they create a sauce with more depth than either fruit alone.

Microwave the blueberries and preserves together, stirring twice during cooking. The berries should soften and burst slightly, creating a thick sauce with whole berry pieces throughout. Chill the sauce before layering so it doesn’t melt the frozen yogurt on contact.

Layer in clear glasses for the full visual effect: frozen yogurt, then sauce, then more yogurt, then more sauce, finished with almonds on top.

Chef Tips

• Chill the sauce thoroughly before assembling. Even slightly warm sauce will turn the frozen yogurt into soup.
• Use small parfait glasses or wine glasses. The layers look best when they’re visible from the side.
• Scoop the frozen yogurt into small balls rather than big scoops. They layer more neatly and the sauce distributes better.
• Slivered almonds add crunch that contrasts the creamy yogurt and soft sauce. Toast them in a dry skillet for a minute to intensify their flavor.

Variations

• Berry mix: Use a combination of blueberries and raspberries in the sauce for a more complex fruit flavor.
• Granola crunch: Add a layer of granola between the yogurt and sauce for a breakfast-worthy parfait.